From the archive: Love is a weapon

The selected films range in genre from stop-motion to experimental documentary, but all present an alternative form of defiance, whether through romance, alternative lifestyles, or humorous enlightenment about a serious issue. These films and their order of appearance express the belief that love, despite sometimes leading to violence, conquers all. A fine illustration of this is Boštjan Hladnik’s The Kiss, in which a young couple is seeking a place to kiss. Their desire for intimacy in a city full of authoritative figures appears to be a rebellious act. Finally, the only place where they can be undisturbed is the most public. A similar situation in a primary school, however, takes an unexpected turn in the final film of the programme, Why Didn’t I Shoot Them All? by Miha Hočevar.
The Kiss was shot in 1969, at the height of the ‘flower power’ era, when themes of love and acceptance were prevalent. The second film that deals directly with this period is Ciril Gale’s short animation The Flower Victory (1976), which represents the term ‘flower power’ quite literally. With hippies followed by punk rockers, the experimental film Too Much by Olga Pajek depicts the underground life of this subculture. The film’s effectiveness is enhanced by a dissected montage and unusual echoing sounds, which are shot in a dark basement full of dancing and sweating bodies that rub against one another. As resistance against social norms has always been reflected in music, sexuality, and nightlife, this film embodies the roughness and dynamics of the Ljubljana punk scene during its wildest years.
The one film to thematically stand out is perhaps 6 Etudes by Branko Ranitović, which shows the impact of capitalism on society in six short scenes. The director avoids preaching and instead approaches themes with humour and absurdity. Such a compassionate and caring address is clearly effective because it helps us relate since we know we are being addressed by someone who loves us despite our dysfunctionality. The programme was prepared in cooperation with the Slovenian Film Archive. The rights for the films are held by the Slovenian Film Centre and AGRFT. -Asiana Jurca Avci, Jelena Radić